The Hold Steady played 2 NYC shows in 1 night (pics, setlist), new album streaming online

words by Andrew Frisicano, photos by Jessica Amaya

“About to see the hold mother fucking steady at music hall of wburg. I’ve been drinking all day in preparation.” – David Chaitt

The Hold Steady hosted a pair of NYC shows on Saturday (4/17) to celebrate their new album, Heaven Is Whenever, out May 4th, and its limited Record Store Day release earlier that day (miraculously, the album remained unleaked up to that point, so those that braved the line for one of their store’s 5 or so copies were the first to hear it). Now it’s legally streaming in full online.

The shows were also a chance to show off the band’s new touring members – guitarist Steve Selvidge (ex-Lucero) and keyboardist Dan Neustadt (ex-The World/Inferno Friendship Society) – who replaced key player/accordionist Franz Nicolay, and who’d been with the group for less than two weeks.

The late crowd at Music Hall of Williamsburg (the earlier show was at Bowery Ballroom) were part enthused revelers, part intent observers. Those up front were going wild.The set mixed old and new – “Massive Nights,” “Stevie Nix,” and late-in-the-set “Stay Positive” came off riotously, while the newer, more neat and polished songs like “The Weekenders” and “Rock Problems” were more subdued (time will tell how those play live post-release).

The band seemed sober and focused, a good or bad thing depending on your perspective. Craig Finn raised a sole bottle of beer to end the night, “I think I’ve earned this.” (Compare to the two NYC shows by LCD Soundsystem a week prior, with frontman James Murphy demoing his new album blissfully shitfaced.) With the new album, the Hold Steady have clearly done some growing up. Appropriately, their next show set for New York will be at the regal, seated Beacon Theatre on October 7th.

NYC Taper has a recording of the Bowery show. More pictures from Music Hall of Williamsbug and both setlists below…

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The Oranges Band

The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady @ Bowery Ballroom on 4/17/10 set list (via)
Positive Jam
Same Kooks
Hurricane J
Cattle and the Creeping Things
Magazines
You Can Make Him Like You
Rock Problems
Sequestered in Memphis
Navy Sheets
Soft In The Center
Barfruit Blues
The Weekenders
Chips Ahoy!
Stuck Between Stations
A Slight Discomfort
Stay Positive
Southtown Girls
How a Resurrection Really Feels
Encore:
Massive Nights
Slapped Actress

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The Hold Steady @ MHOW on 4/17/10 set list
The Sweet Part of the City
Constructive Summer
Hot Soft Light
Sequestered in Memphis
Goin’ on a Hike
The Swish
Rock Problems
Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night
You Can Make Him Like You
The Weekenders
massive Nights
Magazines
Barely Breathing
Hurricane J
Multitude of Casualties
Stevie Nix
We Can Get Together
Stations
Stay Positive
Slapped Actress
Encore
Citrus
First Night
Your Little Hoodrat Friend